> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mariadb.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mariadb.com/docs/maxscale/maxscale-quickstart-guides.md).

# Quickstart Guides

- [MariaDB MaxScale Beginner's Guide](https://mariadb.com/docs/maxscale/maxscale-quickstart-guides/maxscale-beginner-guide.md): Start your journey with MariaDB MaxScale. This guide introduces the database proxy's architecture, key components, and basic setup steps for first-time users.
- [MariaDB MaxScale Guide](https://mariadb.com/docs/maxscale/maxscale-quickstart-guides/mariadb-maxscale-guide.md): Discover the capabilities of MariaDB MaxScale. This overview explains how the proxy manages high availability, load balancing, and security for your database infrastructure.
- [MariaDB MaxScale Installation Guide](https://mariadb.com/docs/maxscale/maxscale-quickstart-guides/mariadb-maxscale-installation-guide.md): Follow step-by-step instructions to install MariaDB MaxScale on major Linux distributions. This guide covers repository configuration and package installation.
- [MariaDB MaxScale Authenticators Guide](https://mariadb.com/docs/maxscale/maxscale-quickstart-guides/mariadb-maxscale-authenticators-guide.md): Configure secure access to your database. This guide explains how to set up authenticators in MaxScale to manage client credentials and validate connections to backend servers.
- [MariaDB MaxScale Limitations Guide](https://mariadb.com/docs/maxscale/maxscale-quickstart-guides/mariadb-maxscale-limitations-guide.md): Review known limitations and constraints of MariaDB MaxScale. Understand supported features, configuration boundaries, and protocol specifics to plan your deployment effectively.